Everything You need to know about Buying Traditional Iranian Gifts

Iran is a country with a cultural heritage that spans thousands of years. Iranian culture is enriched with art and a sense of hospitality that draws most tourists to Iran in the first place. After visiting this part of the world, you are inevitably tempted to take a part of it with you; you want to immortalize this experience. The emblem of Iranian culture is its handicrafts. If you have never traveled to Iran before, it would be wise to educate yourself about the incredible souvenirs you can bring back home with you and gift your loved ones.

Iranian Saffron, the Red Gold

Saffron is the world’s most expensive spice. Because of its pleasant taste and aura, Saffron has been used for culinary purposes for hundreds of years. Saffron is used in many Persian deserts that provide an unmatched taste. The red saffron threads bring about the true nature of the Eastern, especially the Persian culture. That is why Saffron is the best souvenir to buy from Iran.

Buying pure and original Saffron is not an easy task. It requires a keen eye to distinguish pure Saffron from adulterated products. To determine the quality of the Saffron you want to buy, first, you need to buy a small portion of it mainly to test the quality. To test the quality of pure Saffron, pour some of it in cold water. If cold water is added to pure Saffron, little by little, the water turns yellow. A high-quality Saffron does not turn the water to yellow immediately, and even when you remove the threads from the water, you can see that they have preserved their red color.

Adulterated Saffron, on the other hand, immediately releases its color inside the cold water, and once you remove it from the water, you can visibly see that the threads have lost their original red color and have turned into a yellow or orange color. If you want to buy Saffron as a souvenir, make sure to bring an expert with you to identify the high-quality Saffron, or you can watch this video to understand how to distinguish pure Saffron from adulterated types.

The Persian carpet is the hallmark of Iranian culture and tradition. The earliest hand-woven carpet excavated in Siberia dates back to the 5th century BC; however, the exact date of the first hand-woven Persian carpet is unknown. Upon the first look, the Persian carpet appears like a melody, like a tale hand-written by cotton instead of ink. The Persian carpet is the perfect choice for you if you want to eternalize your experience in Iran; you will always have a beautiful reminder of the land enriched with culture and art that you have once stepped foot in.

If you have never bought a Persian carpet before, then the following key points will help you make a better purchase:

1. Decide the purpose of the carpet, and where you want to use it.
Carpets are most commonly used in the living rooms and laid on the ground. If you are buying a carpet for your living room, then you will have a variety of choices, all of which can add a sense of class to your house and showcase your refined taste.
On the other hand, wall carpets are mostly used for their aesthetic and artistic value. Since they have no practical usage, there are less likely to be tarnished over time; therefore, not much can go wrong while purchasing a wall carpet. You will only need to decide whether you want a hand-woven wall carpet or not. Hand-woven wall carpets are highly expensive. Make sure to choose the one that suits your best desire.

2. Decide on your budget.
The amount of money you are willing to spend on a carpet is the second most important factor in buying a carpet. As previously stated, hand-woven carpets are more expensive; therefore, you will need to decide on a budget before making a purchase.

3. Decide on your favorite pattern.
Persian carpets traditionally have several exquisite patterns all of which reflect the rich cultural heritage of ancient Persia. Before making a purchase, it is wise to educate yourself on these magnificent patterns so that you can choose the pattern that most fits your taste. Contact us +989133160903 if you are willing to buy a Persian carpet.

4. Decide on the material.
Hand-woven Persian carpets are made of either silk or wool. The silk carpets are more expensive, but they have a more refined texture.

Persian Ghalamkar Textile

Ghalamkar or Kalamkar fabric is a type of textile printing that is mostly practiced in Isfahan, a province of Iran. Traditionally, the Ghalamkar art was employed on fabrics used for clothing to create beautiful patterns on them. Ghalamkar, because of its rare and magnificent nature is the perfect choice for a gift to someone you love. Upon visiting Iran, if you have ever traveled to Isfahan, make sure to buy yourself a Ghalamkar textile. Ghalamkar is mostly used as a table cloth creating a divine image for your dining table.
There are some points that you need to keep in mind while purchasing a Ghalamkar textile:

1. The most important factor to take into account is the quality of the fabric used in Ghalamkar textile printing. The fabric must be made of cotton; otherwise, it will not be able to absorb the colors perfectly and will create asymmetrical patterns.

2. The second important factor while purchasing a Ghalamkar printed textile is the colors incorporated within the textile. Since only natural dyes are used in high-quality Ghalamkar textiles, they create lovely and bright colors. If the Ghalamkar textile has a soft texture with bright and lively colors, it is of high quality.
3. The third important factor to take into account is the variety of colors and patterns. The more versatile the patterns and the more colorful the textile, the better the Ghalamkar. If multiple patterns are printed on the fabric, it indicates that multiple artists have worked on it. The more the patterns on the Ghalamkar, the higher its value and aesthetic quality.

4. Washing the Ghalamkar is the ultimate quality-check test for Ghalamkar textile. If after washing the fabric, the patterns remain intact and the colors maintain their bright nature, you can rest assured that you have purchased a high-quality Ghalamkar textile.

For more information on the Persian Ghalamkar textile, visit the following page.

What can you buy as a Gift in Iran for 20 Dollars?

If you are short on your budget and you need a simple guide to make the very best of your trip to Iran, then you have come to the right place. Here is a guide for the items you can buy for 20 dollars or less as a gift in Iran.

Spices

Persian spices are an inseparable part of Persian cuisine. If you are a fan of Persian cuisine, then you have to buy some of these spices before you head back home. Here is the list of some popular Persian spices:

Cumin: There are two types of Cumin, black and green Cumin. Black Cumin is traditionally added to rice while cooking and it gives a rich and pleasant taste to the rice. Green Cumin is mostly used for its medicinal benefits since cumin seeds help treat heartburn and gastrointestinal issues. You can buy almost a kilo of cumin seeds for 20 dollars.

Saffron: Seriously, if you step foot in Iran and never buy some saffron to take home with you, then you have made the biggest mistake of your life. Due to its high value, Saffron is sold in small portions. With 20 dollars, you can buy some Saffron to take home and enjoy making a lovely dessert or ice cream with it.

Pistachio: Iranian pistachio remains the most popular pistachio in the world. If you are a nut lover or you are simply looking for a nutritious snack, do not hesitate to pick up some pistachio on your way home. With 20 dollars, you can buy one pound of pistachio that will accommodate your taste for quite some time. Visit this page to make your purchase online.

Copperware: Some provinces of Iran, specifically Kerman and Isfahan, are known for their hand-made copperware. It is scientifically proved that eating and cooking dishes in copperware affords you various nutritional benefits. With 20 dollars, you can buy one copperware item, however small.
Follow this link and learn more about copperware and its multiple usages and benefits.
You can also check out this page to find more copperware items that are sold for around 20 dollars each.

So far, we provided some information for you on some of the most precious traditional Persian gifts and given you some tips on which one to buy and how. These tips were for the people who have never visited Iran and wanted to buy some traditional Iranian gifts for the first time to take them back home to their loved ones. But what if you are planning to travel to Iran and pay a visit to some of his/her Iranian friends and don’t know what to bring them as a gift? For instance, you may not know what your Iranian friend might like as a gift and whether or not that gift matches their cultural, religious, and historical backgrounds; after all, you don’t want to offend someone by giving them a present. So, what should you do?

Here is a list of what most Iranians are prone to like as gifts:

Chocolate:

You can never go wrong with chocolate, can you? Whether it is Hershey, Lindt, Galaxy, or any other kind, your Iranian friend would love it if you buy them some chocolate as a gift.

Macaroon

Macaroon is a universal choice for gifts. There is absolutely no sane person in the world that does not love macaroons. Well, that might sound rather harsh, but it is true! You can never make a mistake by presenting someone with Macaroons. Macaroons are typically made to stay fresh and ready to be served for a couple of days. Macaroons can easily withstand a long flight from your country to Iran. Buy your Iranian friend some macaroons and witness your friendship flourish even further.

Korean Noodles and Rice Cakes

The first thing you need to know about Iranians is that they are simply in love with Korean pop music and Korean TV dramas.
An inseparable part of the Korean culture is their cuisine and eating habits and they certainly love their noodles. Korean noodles, or “Ramen” as they call it in Korea, are Iranian’s top favorite snack. There is no better way to make your Iranian friend happy than to buy them Korean noodles that they can eat while watching their favorite K-dramas. Korean Rice Cakes are also widely popular in Iran since they can rarely be found in supermarkets, and Iranians just love to have them, especially the spicy ones.

 Indian Curry

If you were born in India or just have access to Indian Curry spices, do not hesitate to bring some as a gift for your Iranian friend. Iranian people are food lovers and they love Indian cuisine. Iranians especially love the many spices Indians use in their dishes. You can never go wrong with bringing spices as a gift for your Iranian friend, they sure love their spices!
As a final note, remember that the best gift is the one that comes from the heart. If you want to buy someone from a different country and cultural background a gift, remember that sometimes all you need to do is put yourself in their shoes and see the world through their eyes; once you see what they see, you can realize their interests as well.

What Are the Best Occasions to Give Gifts to Iranians?

Iranian new year called ” Nowruz, The Persian New Year” is the biggest holiday and the most important occasion of the year. People make each other happy by giving different gifts as mentioned above. But in Nowruz, it is most common to give banknotes or cash. Religious festivals are the times when people show their love and kindness to each other especially on the birthdays of the Imams of Islam or Eid days in the Persian calendar. Birthdays are another occasion that you can give gifts to your Iranian friends.